THE GERASENE DEMONIAC
They came to land in the territory of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee, on the other side of the lake. When he disembarked, a man from the city who was possessed by devils at once came out from the tombs towards him. For a long time the man had been living with no clothes on, not in a house, but in the tombs and no one could secure him anymore, even with a chain, because he had often been secured with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains, and broke the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. All night and all day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones and the devil would drive him out into the wilds. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up, fell at his feet, and shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Have you come to torture us before the time? I implore you, in God’s name, do not torture me!” For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit.” Then he asked, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion, for there are many of us.” These begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district and into the Abyss. Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, “If you drive us out, send us to the herd of pigs, and let us go into them.” Therefore, he gave them leave. He said to them, “Go then.” With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened they ran off and told their story in the city and in the country round about and the people came to see what had really happened. When they came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there at the feet of Jesus, the man who had the legion in him, properly dressed and in his full senses, they were afraid. Those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac, how the man who had been possessed came to be saved, and what had become of the pigs. The entire population of the Gerasene territory was in great fear and they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but sent him away saying to him, “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord God in his mercy has done for you.” Therefore, Jesus got into the boat and went back. The man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus has done for him. In addition, everyone was amazed. Return